(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to enhancement of the environment and to the prevention of pollution of the environment. More specifically this invention is to control and contain spills which occur from oil wells during workover of the oil well.
Oil field workers have ordinary skill in the art.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Often oil is produced from deep within the earth by having pumps which pump the oil to the surface of the earth. The pumps, being mechanical devices, often need repair and maintenance. This is normally done with a workover rig which normally will have a derrick to pull sucker rod and tubing from the casing within an oil well. Often, as the sucker rod or the tubing and pump are pulled from the well, oil will flow upward as this process proceeds. Particularly if the tubing is pulled the tubing will often be full of crude oil and as each joint of tubing is disconnected, crude oil within the tubing will run out of the tubing. If the oil spills upon the earth it will often be washed by rain water into streams or percolate through the earth into underground aquifers. In either event, pollution of the water in the stream or in the aquifer will occur.
In addition, the crude oil will often have with it many other substances many of which are more harmful than the petroleum products themselves.
Many people have previously attempted to control leaks and spills around oil wells. For example, the DEWEY U.S. Pat. No. 113,638 issued in 1871, discloses a bag or rubber sock which may be connected around the top of the tubing on an oil well to prevent leakage from an operating oil well from running upon the ground. DYER U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,606, in 1967 and JOHNSTON U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,810 in 1966, show similar flexible containers to prevent the loss of oil. Likewise, BEARD U.S. Pat. No. 1,418,612 in 1922, and RETHERFORD U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,976 in 1987, show rigid containers surrounding the tops of operating oil wells to prevent loss.
EVANS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,784 issued in 1990, discloses a basin or vat attached around the top of an operating oil well to catch any leakage therein. In this instance the leakage was drained by gravity into an open pit dug in the ground which is lined with a material such as Fiberglass which would not permit the crude within the sump from seeping into the earth. It is suggested that the sump be emptied by a hose to suck the material from the bottom of the sump. Petroleum products that had leaked from the well would pass through the surface pump.
Applicant believes equipment somewhat like EVANS was used to catch the oil at the time of workover.